Warrior
by castiel52
Summary: Picked up from Season 7's 1st episode: Castiel has been gone for almost a month now and the three hunters were still mourning his death-Dean, most of all. But, after all that mourning, he receives a call from Bobby telling him to get to his house as soon as possible. When they got there, neither of the brothers expected the sight that welcomed them... "Cas?" NON-SLASH. READ AN.
1. Welcome Back

**DISCLAIMER: THE SHOW, THE CHARACTERS, THE ACTORS, THE STAFF AND STUFF DO NOT BELONG TO ME. I'M NOT THE GENIUS WHO THOUGHT OF THIS.**

_**QUICK AN: This'll be quick. This story is kind of my version of Season 7 because when this idea hit me (and it hit me hard), I was just somewhere on episode 4, I guess? And now I started from the first episode because of some complications. First of all, Bobby's house is still intact and secondly, Cas will appear shortly in this story; not after 17 episodes. Another thing is that this is** _**NOT A SLASH, _as I've said in the summary, so those who didn't like reading slash fics are safe. Just plain old friendship and family stuff and there's a twist somewhere here. :) Also, I will be introducing my own character so please, don't freak out and I'm pretty sure I won't be putting much romance here (if I would, that is) because I want to focus on family relationships and friendships. :)_**

_**I guess that's all. Please don't forget to review. :)**_

_**Love y'all!**_** *blows a kiss to you guys***** (I have been doing this for a while now so don't be shocked)**

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**Warrior**

_**Welcome Back…**_

===3

It has been almost a month since Castiel walked into the water reservoir and unleashed the Leviathans. Both the brothers and Bobby still feel terrible of losing an ally; a friend. But among the three men, it was Dean who felt the worst. Castiel was his best friend; a brother through soul. He was just as important as Sam and Bobby were. As important as John was when he was still alive; as important as Lisa and Ben. It nearly killed him when he found out that the angel was working with Crowley. He wished he could take it all back and make Castiel realize that they'll always be there for him. _He_ will always be there for him. He will make the angel believe that they could defeat Raphael even without the souls from Purgatory.

Castiel's death—no, disappearance was the word in his head because the angel couldn't be dead—was the final blow that made him want to just give everything up. It was hard enough knowing he lost his best friend to a demon but it was harder to accept the fact that the angel was taken away from him by death, fate, the circumstances, whatever it was that took his best friend away from him and will (might) never come back.

But even with the longing Dean felt for losing the angel, he can't help feeling mad at him as well. He was, after all, the one who broke Sam's wall. He did betray them and lied straight to their faces. He trusted a demon and not his friends. It still annoyed Dean how Castiel could believe that they could save the world from the devil and not believe that they could help him saving it a second time, especially now that they at least had some parts of heaven on their side. He still couldn't find it in his heart to truly forgive the angel.

Tonight, as he lie wide awake in bed in another crappy motel room he and his brother rented for the night, his thoughts wandered back to the angel. He missed those piercing blue eyes that had nothing to do with the vessel itself. He knew those were Castiel's eyes, not Jimmy's. He missed the comfort of the angel standing near him, consuming his personal space, because through that, he knew Castiel will always be there for him. He missed the tilt of his head and the narrow of his eyes when he couldn't understand something. He missed the angel's gruff voice when he speaks. He missed how Castiel suddenly appears in a flutter of unseen wings because it brought him comfort to know that the angel was willing to be there when they call. He missed hearing the greeting of the angel's voicemail.

Speaking of phones, he was pulled away from his thoughts by the sound of his phone vibrating against the bedside table. He swiftly took it from the bedside table and looked at the caller ID and saw Bobby's name. He sighed lightly, wondering what the older hunter would want to talk about in the late hour. He got out of bed and quietly padded out of the main room and went to the bathroom so his brother could keep on sleeping.

"Hey Bobby." He muttered as he shut the door behind him.

"**Get ya'r asses here, now.**" He said urgently on the other end of the line, making Dean's eyebrows rise in surprise and confusion. When his brain processed the urgency in the older hunter's voice, his brows furrowed in concern.

"Why? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"**Just get here as soon as you can and I'll tell you, ya idjit.**" Bobby grumbled and hung up.

Dean stared at his phone long after Bobby hung up; his eyebrows creasing together in confusion and worry. It was normal Bobby-speak but the tone of his voice possessed an urgency that worried him. Whatever Bobby needed to tell them might surely be very important; or else he wouldn't call at almost past twelve and demand their presence.

After he snapped out of his almost trance, he walked out of the bathroom, grabbed a pair of jeans and his leather jacket before he went to his brother to wake him up.

"Dean, what's wrong?" Sam asked with a small frown, eyes squinted slightly because he just woke up as he tried to rub the sleep off of his eyes and yawned widely.

"Bobby called." The older Winchester replied, as if it was enough explanation, as he packed his stuff.

"And?" Sam started when his brother didn't elaborate, now propping himself up on his elbows.

"He just said we need to go to his house. Pronto." Dean replied without further explanation. Sam sighed softly and got out of bed. He pulled on his jeans as well and a jacket then started packing.

When they were done packing, the two boys left the motel and started their journey to Bobby's house. It was a three hour drive and Dean simply let his brother sleep. He knew Sam needed it, with all the hell he has been seeing. The younger Winchester hardly slept in the past few days. Tonight was the first time he actually slept for at least four hours.

As the older Winchester drove, his thoughts wandered back to the angel who has once been his best friend. His mind wandered back to how much he missed the angel and how much he hated him at the same time. He looked back to their time together before the Leviathans were released, then further back to the time before Lucifer was released. The subtle advices the angel gave him and the hidden support from him. He looked back to the time of the Apocalypse, when God revived Castiel to assist them with killing the devil. How Castiel made him laugh without really trying. How Castiel understood him perfectly without saying a single word. Then his mind went back to the time Castiel was full angel once more; the war between Castiel and Raphael. The angel seemed so distant during those times, as if he wasn't the same angel who stood by his side and sacrificed everything; for him. It felt like the angel has lost the ability to _feel_. He wasn't _Cas_, he was who he was before Dean came along; he was _Castiel_, Angel of the Lord and not Dean's best friend.

Then he remembered the times when he thought he was in love with the angel which made him chuckle humorlessly. He doesn't feel anything unusual around the angel; except when he was hurt. He pondered hard on it but it really was plain friendship. No, it was plain _brotherhood_. _Cas_ was another Sam in his life, another baby brother that he'd be willing to take care of even if the angel was undeniably a whole lot older than he was. Cas was someone he'd willingly sacrifice his life for. Cas was a child that needed his guidance and support and he knew that and was willing to give it to him, if he'd ask. That was why it hurt; he was the older brother Cas was supposed to confide with. He was supposed to be the big brother who fixed things for him. Perhaps it was with himself that he was really mad at and not the angel and was simply directing that anger to the angel. Perhaps he was actually mad at himself for not being able to fix things for Castiel—no, for _Cas_—because that was supposed to be his job.

The drive to Bobby's house was actually a blur. It felt like they just left the motel and were suddenly parked by the older hunter's house. He gently shook his brother awake after he turned the car off. Sam blinked slowly and tried to register the surroundings as Dean got out of the car then took his duffel bag from the backseat. Sam got out as well and took his own duffel bag. When they got to the door to call the older hunter, the door suddenly opened to reveal a tired, bewildered and relieved Bobby. The two brothers shared wary glances but went inside the house, nonetheless. Bobby led them to the living room and gestured for the brothers to sit. He stood in front of the Winchesters then crossed his arms across his chest as he looked from one brother to another. He was a little guarded and that worried the two boys.

"Before anything else, I want you two to relax because what I'm about to show you will be a huge surprise and I don't know how you two will take it; especially you, Dean." He directed the last three words to the oldest Winchester with a hint of sadness in his eyes. Dean still thought that Bobby wasn't making any sense and was about to voice it out when the older hunter continued. "I'm pretty sure Sam'll do fine… in a way because I did." He finished with an eye roll and let his arms drop to his sides.

The two brothers looked at each other for a short while. They simultaneously looked back at Bobby and Sam asked the question they've been meaning to ask. "Bobby, you're not making any sense. What's going on?" he asked in a worried voice with a small frown.

Bobby sighed and looked away. When he looked back at the brothers, his eyes looked a little hesitant, he said, "Just don't freak out, okay?" at the Winchesters' nod, he continued, "Follow me." He tilted his head to one side and left the living room with the brothers in tow. It was then clear to the two boys that Bobby was taking them to the panic room. When they were only a few more meters away from the room, Bobby turned around to face them and said once more, "Don't freak out or throw a fit or whatever, alright? Just relax."

Dean rolled his eyes at the older man's millionth reminder. "Yes Bobby. We won't freak out, okay?" Bobby nodded at that but was still a little hesitant when he turned his back to the boys once more and walked towards the panic room.

When the door opened, Dean suddenly understood the reason for Bobby's consistent warning about not panicking. His mouth fell open and so did Sam's. Dean stood there slightly dumbstruck and then croaked out in a quiet voice, "Cas?"


	2. The Guardian

**_AN: Hey guys! Thanks so much for the reviews! They were an amazing dose of Ego Boosters. ;) Anyway, I apologize in advance if you'll find this chapter kind of lame. But stuff from this chapter will eventually make sense in the following chapters. Just remain patient. Also, I am introducing a new character, an OC, and hopefully you guys will love him/her (I'm not giving clues so you have to read this) and said character will be in most of my stories, as much as possible. :)_  
**

**_So, enjoy this chapter and hopefully I'll finish this before Season 8 starts. :)_**

**_Don't forget to review guys! I need ego boosters! :D_**

**_Love y'all!_ *blows a kiss to you guys.***

**(I have a question at the end that isn't related to my story but please do read it. Thanks! (: )**

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**Warrior**

_**The Guardian…**_

===3

It has been a week since the Winchester brothers arrived at Bobby's house. Castiel was still unconscious in the panic room. Sam and Bobby have been checking Castiel in the panic room every now and then within that week, waiting for him to wake up. Dean, on the other hand, has never gone inside the panic room to check on the angel except for the first day that he and his brother arrived. He was still unsure whether he'd be able to see the angel or not. He still felt mad and hurt and outright confused. He still didn't know whether he'd lash out or break down the moment he sees the angel once more; so he stayed away instead.

Neither Sam nor Bobby said anything about it. They knew how Dean felt but they still hoped the older Winchester brother would be okay one of these days. They knew how much the angel meant to the hunter. They knew Castiel was someone Dean could confide to, someone he trusted. Sam easily forgave Castiel simply because he knew that he would've done the same thing as Castiel did and it was a natural attitude of his; forgiving. Bobby, on the other hand, has forgiven Castiel as well because whether it was obvious or not, the angel has been like a son to him as well, the same way he saw the Winchester brothers as his own.

Within that week, they learned very little about the Leviathans. All they knew was that the creatures were sealed by God in Purgatory. Nothing else was learned besides that fact. Everything else that could be learned were from the Bible and said book can sometimes be more on the poetic side rather than the factual side. They have been researching on how to kill these things and still couldn't find a single damn thing. They have no idea why, but the Leviathans left them alone.

Sam's hallucinations were getting worse everyday and it was getting harder and harder for him to focus. But, for a reason not known to him, the hallucinations seemed to tone down whenever he was within a five feet range from the angel. He hasn't told Bobby or Dean about this because he wasn't really sure if it was a fact or simply a coincidence. Two more days later, Sam decided to find out if it really was because of the angel that his hallucinations were toning down.

When nightfall came, after cleaning himself and changing into more comfortable clothes, instead of going to one of Bobby's spare bedrooms, he went inside the panic room with a pillow and a thick comforter in hand. He laid the comforter down beside the bed the angel was lying on and put the pillow on top. He lied on the comforter by the bed and willed sleep to get to him. He waited for Lucifer to pop out of nowhere until he actually fell into a dreamless sleep.

When morning came, he was surprised to find out that he overslept. It was almost noon when he woke up and there wasn't any sign of Lucifer.

He took the things he bought with him the night before and walked out of the panic room. When he has reached the top of the stairs, the loud singing of Lucifer reached his ears.

"**You shook me alllll night looongggg! Yeah you! Shook me all night looonnnggg!**" Lucifer's voice rang out, making him cringe and grimace. Even so, he went on with his usual morning routines; brush teeth, eat, shower, read. But he did spend the rest of the day in the panic room.

After a few days of the same routine from Sam, Dean and Bobby became slightly curious. The youngest Winchester would always sleep by the angel's side and read inside the panic room.

"Sam." Dean called when the younger Winchester was about to head back down to the panic room.

"Yeah?" Sam replied and raised his eyebrows as he turned to look at his brother; a few books in his hands.

"Why are you always down there?" Dean asked and gestured to the direction of the panic room. The two older hunters stared expectantly at the younger one, waiting for his response. Sam shifted his weight one foot to another and looked everywhere but the two other men in the room. Finally, he sighed softly and looked at Bobby and Dean with soft eyes.

"Don't' think I'm crazy, alright?" he started with pleading eyes. At Dean and Bobby's nod, he continued, "Whenever I'm around Cas, Lucifer just . . . disappears. Like, he stops bothering me in my head."

The older hunters shared a glance and were quiet for a while, simply studying the youngest hunter among the three of them. When Sam was about to turn and go straight to the panic room, Dean spoke, "Are you sure it has something to do with Cas?"

Sam sighed softly and looked straight into his brother's eyes, "About ninety percent sure Dean. I've been experimenting and I just stop hallucinating whenever I'm inside the panic room. With Cas."

The older Winchester sighed softly and looked away from his brother then wet his dry lips. He looked back at his brother and opened his mouth to say something until the lights flickered, putting the hunters into full alert.

When the lights were stable once more, Sam put the books he had down and grabbed the handgun he kept with him. Bobby and Dean had their own shot guns in hand. They looked around, their sharp senses switching on. They all strained to listen for any movements whatsoever to get a clue to who—_what _—their intruder was. A few more moments later, the lights flickered once more, but, this time, it was accompanied by a soft crackling of electricity and soft sounds of thunder.

When the brothers met each other's eyes, Dean mouthed the angel's name. Sam, understanding what his brother was trying to say turned to walk towards the panic room to make sure the angel will be safe from any threat; because, after everything they've been through, they clearly haven't met every creature there is and the possibilities of another unknown to pop out of nowhere was highly possible.

Once Sam was a few steps away from the door to the panic room, said door slammed shut and the lights flickered once more; all three hunters raised their guns. When the light was stable once more, the soft fluttering of wings, the same sound that they hear whenever an angel arrives, was heard. And, stood in the middle, was a female—presumably eighteen to twenty—with dark hair that looked black but was clarified as a very dark shade of brown when the light hit her hair.

Said female was quite short. She must measure roughly around five feet and two to four inches. Her eyes were quite rounded and looked black in the dim light but was just a very dark shade of brown as well; just like her hair. The build of her body was quite difficult to distinguish because of the huge shirt and cargo pants she wore. The shirt's sleeves reached past her wrists and somewhere by joints of her fingers; where the palm and her fingers—from the index up to the pinky—were joined. The long-sleeved shirt was white in color while the pants were black. She was wearing black converse shoes that made it seem like military boots because the ends of the pants were trapped by the laces.

The girl had a frown and a searching look on her face. Her eyes roamed around the room, as if it was a new house she has bought and was now wondering what furniture she'll have to buy and where she would put it. She didn't even chance a glance at the hunters as her eyes roamed the room. All three of them had their guns pointed at the stranger. A few more moments of silence, Dean finally spoke in a gruff, threatening voice. "Who are you?" he raised his gun a little more to look more threatening. But when the girl looked at him, her frown deepened and her eyes narrowed as she studied him. Her head tilted to one side, almost like Castiel, and slowly walked towards the hunter and that was when Sam fired his gun.

The girl didn't even blink at the sound of a gunshot but merely raised her left hand to the level of her eyes and wave her hand a little, as if dismissing the bullet, whilst she stared at Dean. The bullet simply disappeared as the girl continued to slowly walk towards the hunter. Bobby and Dean started to shoot as well because it was clearer than anything else that the girl was a threat. But, as soon as all three of them started shooting, the girl raised her hand once more and snapped, dismissing the bullets and their guns. Sam moved on instinct and pulled out Ruby's kinife and charged for the stranger when she was only a few steps from his brother. But when he got closer, she waved a hand once more and sent Sam flying to and pinned to the wall. She waved her hand in Bobby's direction and suddenly the older hunter was gently pushed down to a chair that wasn't even there before.

Dean took a step back, now feeling panic rise in his chest. The female, though short, kept on staring at him right in the eye and looked too intimidating for someone her height. With the events that unfolded earlier, he was pretty sure that the girl was an angel. He just didn't know what the angel's would want from them now.

"Who are you?" He asked again, hoping to at least get a reaction. He can hear both Sam and Bobby struggle to get to him but they were just a mere background to the sound of his pounding heart.

When the girl had him pinned to the wall, she raised her right hand and let it rest on Dean's chest, on his heart. The hunter felt a tinge of pain from inside, as if someone was holding his heart and squeezing it lightly. His eyes widened a little as he tried to suppress a whimper. Then, the hand was gone and on his left shoulder, where Castiel's mark lies.

The girl's eyebrows, if possible, deepened even more as she stared at her hand on Dean's shoulder. Her eyes were filled with curiosity and slight awe. He felt another tinge of pain but was more bearable than the previous one.

A few moments passed, the sounds of Bobby and Sam were now muted, and the female looked up at him and said in a deep but still feminine voice, "Where is my charge?"

Dean's brows furrowed as he looked at the girl in confusion. Before he could say anything, the girl's hand slid down his arm and back to her side. Her body turned slightly away from him, her head was casted slightly downwards, as if she was straining to hear something. Dean knew it was a chance to fight but he knew he had no chance against her. A few moments later, the soft flutter of wings was heard and the girl was gone. Sam and Bobby can move again and Dean released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Are you alright?" Sam asked as he walked towards his brother to check if he had any injuries. The older Winchester looked at his brother and nodded. It took them a while to realize that they should probably check Castiel.

The three hunters quickly ran down to the panic room; guns in hand. When they got down, the girl from a few moments ago was standing in front of the panic room, as if studying it. A few more moments passed, the girl snapped her fingers and entered the panic room without trouble. They all rushed towards the room but they were held back by _something_. Dean stared in horror as the girl walked towards the angel and kneeled beside him.

"Don't you fucking touch him!" Dean screamed as he stood up and tried to get inside once more. The girl didn't even chance a glance at him but just stared at the angel.

The girl put a hand on Castiel's chest, the same place her hand rested on Dean's a few moments prior. Then, she started speaking.

#1#"_Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae, et in Iesum Christum, Filium Eius unicum, Dominum nostrum, qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus, descendit ad inferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis, inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem, et vitam aeternam._" After she said those words, she glanced at the angel. Her hand was glowing on Castiel's chest, making Dean feel panic rise in his chest. The only thing the three hunters could do was watch the scene that was unfolding in front of them.

The girl raised her free hand and let it rest on the angel's forehead, then, she continued. #2#"_Pater noster qui in caelis est huic bello a calore spiritus tui in manibus linguae. Sit oculos eius habent subruti semel possederunt et cor eius procedere solitam suam tranquillitas pellentesque. Mutuam ferunt penes implendae viribus nostris scripsisti. Postremo scientiae et sapientiae tuae possideat, ut recta via pergamus._" Just then, Castiel's eyes snapped open. His eyes, nostrils, ears and mouth—basically every cavity that was seen—was releasing light; the same way that a dying angel or an angel being pushed (or pulled) out of a vessel does.

The girl's hands slid down from Castiel's body as the angel was lifted a few inches above the bed then suddenly fell back down; all the light gone and his eyes closed once more.

The girl leaned down and whispered to the angel—something Dean wouldn't have heard if he didn't try to do so, #3#"_Vigilans, vectis bellator._"

The angel gasped awake as his eyes snapped open. He blinked a few times to let his sight adjust. When his sight was better, he suddenly noticed the girl beside him. He stared at her wide-eyed and suddenly sat up. His eyes were filled with confusion, relief and at the same time, fright.

The girl tilted her head to one side and said, "Hello Castiel."

The angel swallowed thickly and said with a gush of wind, "Daniel."

**TRANSLATION:**

**#1# **

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

(_Basically it was the Apostles Creed because I couldn't find any other suiting Latin prayer_)

**#2#**

Our Father in heaven, give this warrior the breath from your lips and the heat from your palms. Let his eyes have the glimmer they once possessed and let his heart proceed with its usual calm beating. Lend him our strength so he may fulfill his part in the tale you have written. Lastly, may he possess your knowledge and wisdom, so he may walk along the right path.

**#3#**

Awake, brave warrior.

Basically, the first one is an actual translation because as I've said, it's an actual Latin version of the prayer Apostles Creed. The 2nd and 3rd are from Google Translate which I highly doubt is the correct/actual translation. So, yeah. I'm sorry. If anybody speaks Latin fluently and stuff, please tell me and you'll be my translator and your payment will hugs, kisses, chocolate pudding and cheese sticks that I can cook really well. :D And I'm telling you I love you in advance! :3

Oh, I have a question. Does anybody here know the title of the story where Cas is an angel (well, he is, in actuality) and Dean is... Dean. A normal, living and breathing human being. Angel's were something they buy and they 'aren't really smart'. Sam bought Gabe before which made Dean turn down the idea of buying an angel himself; also, angels were expensive. Then one rainy night, while Dean was driving around, he saw Cas on the pavement, soaked in just his trench coat. Dean takes him home and eventually they hit it off, if you catch my drift. But since Dean knew Cas had an owner, they had to find who owned him. After a few weeks, I think, Zachariah claims that Cas is _his_ angel and stuff like that. Then Dean realized Cas might've ran away from Zachariah which made him want to keep Cas and they lived happily ever after. Please tell me you know this story. I'm too lazy to look for it and I forgot to add it on my Favorite Story list but I wanted to read it again because it was just too damn adorable. Anyway. Sorry for my blabbering and thank you so much! :D

P.S. Just a stupid question. To those who kind of know me because you have read my other stories before... Have I ever cursed in a story? Except for the word 'damn', of course. Just curious. :)

Byieee! :D


	3. The Messenger's Daughter

**_Thank you so much for the reviews guys! You are amazing ego boosters! :D Also, thank you so much _Keefer, our dear guest, Aliniah and Tendencia _for answering my question last chapter. Hihi. I've finally added it to my Favorites! Yey!_ *happy dance***

**_Anyway, here's the third chapter. I'm sorry it took quite a while. I've been busy lately and I'll be a little busier in the coming weeks because I need to revise a story and turn it into a play, we have shoot two videos for two subjects and I need to read a book and make book report about it. _T_T  
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**_I know a lot of questions are already forming in your mind and I like to keep it that way. Haha. Things will be explained in time. For now, the question of who Daniel is will be revealed in this chapter. Also, I know I can't finish this by the start of Season 8._ :'(  
**

**_All of those aside, don't forget to review people! I need ego boosters! Hihi._  
**

**_Enjoy! Love y'all!_ *blows a kiss to you guys***

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**Warrior**

_**The Messenger's Daughter…**_

===3

Castiel didn't know how he felt; _what_, exactly, he had to feel. Glad? Relieved? Frightened? Surprised? He simply didn't know. All he knew was that this girl, Daniel, who was supposed to be dead for over two millennia now, was standing right in front of him, giving him that same calculated look that she gave anyone or anything that puzzled her. Her eyes, her nose and her lips were still the same. Everything was the same except for her clothing and the way her usually long, curly hair looked. Instead of her usual attire that consisted of a long white gown with the top starting from her chest and flowed down to her feet, a golden lace tied around her waist to show her lean figure, gold-colored sandals that had laces crisscrossing from her ankles to her legs, six or seven inches just below her knees, a golden necklace with a crescent moon lying down with a sun above it and a gold band in her left arm while her formerly curly, long hair flowed freely. Neither was she wearing her battle suit; a white long-sleeved shirt covered by a black metal armor with the same symbol as her necklace drawn at the center in gold, black pants that were bunched up below the knees due to the height of her black leather boots while her long hair was tied back and by her waist, in a gold sheath, was a sword that was meant to kill _anything_. Instead of wearing either of those articles of clothing, she wore a white long-sleeved shirt, black cargo pants and converse shoes. Her hair, instead of its usual curly look was straightened and cut short, its end just below her breasts.

"Cas?" Dean's voice resounded in the angel's ear, pulling him away from his inner turmoil and moved his gaze from where the voice was from. There he was, the man he gave up everything for and the man he betrayed in the end. He was standing there, outside the room he and Daniel were in, which, when he finally looked around, was actually Bobby's panic room. Dean and Bobby both have a handgun in hand, one that they always keep tucked in their jeans while Sam has a shotgun that was always by the side of Bobby's study.

As the angel stared at the hunter's eyes, he saw every emotion in them; anger, sorrow, confusion but most importantly, relief. Dean must be relieved he was still breathing. The two men just kept on staring at each that the girl—Daniel—turned her head to see what caught the angel's attention. When she saw that the three hunters were there with them, she snapped her fingers once more and the air shifted slightly. Then, as if either forgetting that something was holding them back or realized that the unseen barrier must be gone, Sam walked into the panic room with Bobby in tow. Bobby was still quite wary of Daniel but Sam was just staring at their angel friend with awe and relief in his eyes.

When the two hunters approached, Castiel's gaze shifted from Dean to Sam and Bobby. The shame and regret were evident in his bright blue eyes.

"Cas." Sam said softly and moved closer.

"I'm sorry, Sam." Castiel suddenly blurted out as the young hunter approached. He realized he hadn't apologized to the younger Winchester and he hoped that he will be forgiven.

Sam gave him a small smile and said, "Cas, I've forgiven you even before I prayed for you to let us help you." The young hunter's eyes were filled with sincerity and forgiveness that made the angel felt relieved for being forgiven. Sam looked over his shoulder to look at his brother and tilted his head to the angel's direction, urging him to come forward and talk to his friend; his _best_ friend.

Dean understood the look his brother gave him when they caught each other's eyes. When he looked back at the angel, he can see that there was an underlying fear in his eyes; fear that he will never be forgiven by him. He gave the angel a small, shaky smile that vanished as soon as it appeared. "Look at you, alive and breathing." He said in a tight voice.

"Dean—" the angel started but was cut off when said hunter raised a hand.

"You're sorry, I get it." He said in a stern voice that clearly said, '_drop it._' The angel understood and simply sighed softly. That was answer enough that the hunter couldn't forgive him; hopefully, not just _yet_. As he said before, when they were performing the ritual to reopen purgatory and bring the souls back, he will make amends with Dean.

"Castiel." A female voice resounded in the panic room. All four men looked at the source, Daniel, as if they just realized that she was still there. She continued, despite the slightly shocked stares she got from the people with her. "I have to get you out of here."

"Why?" Bobby spoke for the first time. "And _what_ are you? You definitely ain't an angel."

"This is not the best time for you to question me. I have to take my charge out of here. They're watching, waiting for the right time to take him." Daniel replied in a strong and intimidating voice. All three of them were not afraid to admit that Daniel made quite an impression and they really didn't want to get into the girl's bad side.

"Who are watching?" Sam asked in a curious but calm voice. Daniel's gaze shifted from Bobby to him.

"Leviathans. They have been watching for quite a long time now, I can tell. But somehow, they're waiting for something that I can't figure out yet and I wouldn't want to wait to figure out. Castiel has to remain safe." They can all tell she was growing impatient now but somehow, she didn't want to just vanish with the angel.

"Then go. Why didn't you just zap off with him when you saw him." Dean said in an almost angry tone before Sam or Bobby could ask another question.

"I can't." She admitted quietly.

"What do you mean you can't?" Sam asked with a furrowed brow.

Daniel sighed softly and looked at him in the eye and said, "A lot have changed since I last walked on earth. I have no idea what places could possibly be safe and away from too much civilization. I need to take him somewhere almost isolated to keep him safe and _train_ him."

"Train me for what?" The angel asked in confusion.

Daniel sighed once more and said in an impatient voice, "This is for his safety."

"How can we be sure you ain't gonna hurt him?" Bobby asked and raised his gun towards the girl. She sighed impatiently and snapped her fingers, making the three hunters' guns disappear once more. All three of them were surprised and a little pissed that their guns have gone missing again.

"I haven't killed any of you, have I?" She said in an almost angry tone. "Now, I need to get Castiel out of here. I don't know when the leviathans would attack."

"If the leviathans will attack, you have to keep them safe as well, Daniel." Castiel interjected and slowly stood up from the bed.

"I never planned to leave them here. But I would've taken them somewhere else." She replied.

"Can't we just come with you?" Sam asked, slowly trusting the young woman in front of them.

Daniel contemplated for a while. She looked at the three hunters, as if she was studying them. She sighed softly and said, "What place do you suggest?"

"Rufus' cabin's free. It hasn't been used in years." Bobby said. Dean and Sam gave him a questioning look for two different reasons.

"So you trust her?" Dean asked.

"Sam and Cas do; why not?" Bobby rolled his eyes and looked at Daniel. "It's in Whitefish, Montana."

"Can you give me the coordinates? I'm not certain that the names of places are still the same."

"Sure." Bobby walked over to the desk by the bed and took the map that they were using a few weeks prior. "It's right here." He pointed the location on the map. Daniel stared at it for quite a while, as if she was trying to memorize the map.

"We're right here, aren't we?" She asked the older hunter as she pointed to another place on the map. At Bobby's nod, she looked back at the map. After a short while, she looked satisfied and looked at the four men with her in the panic room. Since Bobby and Castiel were closest to her, she held their arms and they vanished.

"What did you do?" Dean asked angrily and stepped forward.

"I sent them to the cabin he was talking about." She replied and walked towards the brothers and held their arms as well. In a blink of an eye, they were in a forest with Bobby and Castiel; Daniel has now let their arms go. They can see the roof a cabin about twenty to twenty-five meters away. Bobby led the way towards the cabin, followed by Daniel, Castiel, Sam and Dean.

When they got inside (note: when they picked the lock), they can tell that Bobby was telling the truth about the cabin being unused for years. But it still looked fine. It has a small dining table, a couch, a small kitchen, a television, a few cabinets and basically everything one needed if one decided to stay there for a while.

"Alright, who are you and what are you?" Dean asked after he closed the door behind him. Of course, it was directed at Daniel. The girl simply looked at him and stared; the same way Castiel did when he found something confusing or when he was trying to figure something out. "Who and what are you?" Dean repeated sternly, "And what did you do to wake Cas up?"

Sam and Bobby looked at Daniel, the same questions running through their minds. Castiel, on the other hand, seemed to be debating whether he should interject or not. Finally, Daniel spoke.

"My name's Daniel, and I'm the only daughter of the Archangel Gabriel, God's messenger."


	4. A Guardian's Tales

**_I am extremely sorry for the late update. A lot has been going on for the past few weeks but I'm quite free now for two or three weeks. Hehe. Thanks so much for all your reviews, they are very much appreciated. _:)_ Oh, also, I bet you didn't see that coming last chapter, eh?_ *waggles eyebrows*_ Daniel is Gabriel's only daughter. There's another surprise thing coming your way, but I'm guessing some of you might have made their guess._  
**

**_Anyway, enjoy this chapter people and don't forget to review! I need ego-boosters. Haha. _xD**

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**Warrior**

_**A Guardian's Tales …**_

===3

"You're… what?" Dean asked incredulously after Daniel's admission. The trickster; the exact same trickster who killed him over and over to get Sam used to losing his older brother, the exact same trickster who was actually an archangel, the exact same trickster who died trying to kill Lucifer and told them how to put the devil back to his cage was the exact same trickster who, apparently the father of a human… or _something_.

"I'm Gabriel's only daughter." She repeated.

Sam and Bobby looked at Castiel for confirmation. The angel simply nodded at them and watched the exchange between his former charge and his now guardian. Although why he would need a guardian, he didn't know.

Most angels have their own children as their guardian and all of them were leaders, generals, in basic human terms, of their garrison. He wasn't an angel anymore, he was sure of that, because he couldn't feel his grace anymore; almost like when he was slowly becoming human during the time they were trying to avert the apocalypse; and he wasn't a general, obviously. Daniel has yet to explain what she meant.

"So the trickster's your father?" Dean asked.

Daniel looked confused at the words the hunter asked. _Trickster_? _Father_? "What do you mean?" she asked.

"If you're Gabriel's daughter, then obviously, the trickster's your dad." Sam elaborated for her.

"I don't understand. She wasn't a trickster. She was my mother." At the confused looks she got from the three hunters, realization suddenly hit her. "She took a male vessel."

"Wait, so Gabriel was a woman back then?" Bobby asked. At Daniel's nod, he continued. "So she wasn't even a trickster? How long have you been out?"

"More or less two millennia, I suppose."

There was a long pause among the five of them. Castiel still didn't want to speak. Finally, Sam asked, "How was Gabriel for a mom? Was she good or not?" At Dean and Bobby's incredulous look at the weird question, Sam mouthed with a shrug, "What?" Dean simply rolled his eyes.

"She was amazing." She replied with softness and fondness in her eyes as she remembered her mother, as if she didn't notice the exchange between the hunters. Her mind suddenly went back to the time she was taken away by the archangels.

_"Daniel, come here sweetheart." A woman with long curly black hair called to her five year old daughter who looked exactly like her except for the color of their hair, for the young girl had dark brown hair._

_"Yes, mother?" She approached her mother who went by the name Gabriel. She fitted perfectly against her mother's larger but lean frame. She was swooped by strong and gentle arms and held by the hip as her mother walked towards the bed and sat down. She was placed on the woman's lap as she put her arms around her mother's neck._

_"I know you're still young but I know you're intellectual enough to understand what I will have to tell you." she explained in a serious manner which made the little girl slightly curious. Her mother was always very jolly and loved to tell jokes and sometimes, she pulled of little pranks to her husband who went by the name Cannael._

_Cannael had short dark brown hair and brown hazel eyes. He towered over his wife by almost eight inches. He had a sharp jaw and strong, well-built body but his eyes were always soft and fond. He has a beautiful tenor voice which went well with his wife's soft and calm ones._

_"What do you want to tell me, mother?" the little girl asked curiously. Just then, a shift in the air and the sound of something like a bird's flapping wings got her attention. When she turned her head, she realized that she and her mother were not alone anymore._

_Stood there, a few feet away from her and her mother, were four men. One was just as tall as her father with long black hair that fell freely down his waist. He had dark green eyes that looked like it belonged to a strong and fearless warrior. His nose was pointed and his jaw was sharp._

_The other man had short blonde hair and dark blue eyes that looked like it belonged to a fearless and merciless warrior. He was probably taller than her father by a few inches and his body was huge. Daniel decided she didn't like him._

_The other had long chocolate brown hair that was tied behind him. He had dark lavender eyes that held certain softness as he looked at her and her mother although there seemed to be something hidden in them. He was just as tall as first man but his body was more on the lean side than the masculine side. His jaw was angled perfectly, complimenting his sharp nose, plump rose lips and his slightly rounded eyes._

_The last male gave her a feeling different from the other two men and almost the same as the one prior. He was slightly shorter than her father. He had a blonde hair as well that would probably reach his shoulders but it was tied high behind him, making it hard to actually be sure of the length. He had light blue eyes that must be the color of the sky. Even though his eyes would've seemed blank and stoic to everyone else, to her, it held some softness and fondness in them, the same way her mother and father looked at her._

_"Who are they?" she asked her mother because she knew everything. She wasn't scared because her mother wasn't as well._

_"Sweetheart, these are your uncles." Gabriel told her daughter with a smile. The little girl simply stared at them in a curious but slightly wary manner. "The tallest man, in the middle, is your Uncle Raphael. The one beside him with long black hair is your Uncle Michael, the one with brown hair is your Uncle Lucifer and the last one is your Uncle Castiel, my favorite brother." Gabriel said the last words with a smirk and a wink in a teasing but sincere manner. Castiel simply stared at them as Lucifer smirked._

_Daniel finally diverted her attention from the four men to address her mother. "What are they?" Daniel asked. The young girl, no matter how young she was, was very intellectual for her age. She knew in an instant that the four men with them were not humans._

_Gabriel smiled at her daughter and said, "The same as I am."_

_Her eyes widened in surprise for it wasn't everyday that an angel other than her mother was there. "They're angels?" She whispered hastily, as if she was telling her mother the secrets of the world._

_"Yes, love, they are." Gabriel replied warmly and looked up at the four men with them. "I know there's a war coming but don't you think she's too young to train? She's only five, Michael." She said pleadingly, now addressing the angel who called himself Michael._

_"Gabriel, we have no other options. We can't wait for her to turn eight to begin training. A war is coming and she will have to lead them at an early age." Michael said. It was obvious that he was leading the group._

_"The war isn't coming until ten years from now, brother. She can train at the age she's supposed to."_

_"Gabriel, she has to. She will not have enough time by then. The war is already pushed forward. You know the war was supposed to come by the time she turns twenty-two. She has to be taken back to heaven, now." This time, it was Raphael who spoke. He must've been second in command._

_Gabriel sighed softly and looked at her daughter with sad eyes. "I'm sorry, Gabriel. You know this is her destiny." Lucifer said sympathetically to his sibling. He knew where Gabriel was coming from. His son was quite young as well, only a year and a half older than Daniel, and he didn't want the child to be in battle so soon, let alone hold a sword at the age of six and a half._

_"Gabriel, I will take good care of her." Castiel spoke for the first time. He was one of the angels in charge of training the half human half angel hybrids._

_"I know." Gabriel replied in a soft whisper as she stared at her daughter; the little one stared back._

_The angels took her with them to heaven while Gabriel was left behind to explain to Cannael. The next time she saw her mother was when she turned eight._

She was suddenly snapped out of her stupor by Sam's rushed out 'wow' and then she realized that she was actually talking, telling them about Gabriel as a mother and what happened when she was taken away by the archangels.

"So now the student becomes the teacher, huh." Sam said, indicating that it was now Daniel who was going to teach Castiel, as she has said earlier, rather than Castiel teaching her, like the old days.

"I suppose." Daniel replied simply.

* * *

**I don't know why I ended it there either. :P**


	5. Death

**_I am so sorry for being a dick and not updating for a long time. I just had a lot on my mind and had a lot of projects and schoolwork to do. Also, I am a new Sterek fan and I have been reading a lot of Sterek. _O.O  
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**_Anyway, I haven't edited this chapter neither have I tried to read it at all and I'm too tired right now and I just wanted to give you guys an update, so here! _:)  
**

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**Warrior**

_**Death …**_

===3

The Winchesters, Bobby and Castiel rested for the night, trusting the Nephelim because the angel seemed to trust her. Daniel scanned the area, making sure they were all safe and added a few sigils for additional protection. She and a number of other Nephelims have fought the Leviathans back then and they have created a few protection sigils against the ancient beasts.

Once she was certain that they were all safe, she flew up to the roof of the cabin and gazed at the stars, reminiscing how she and her parents, Gabriel and Cannael, would lie with her under the stars. She can still remember how gentle her mother's touches were, how soothing her father's voice was. She missed them so much that she wasn't able to avoid the heaviness inside her chest. It may have been a few thousand years ago, since she last saw her father and her mother. She could go to heaven, to visit her father, but she has been cast out, believed dead by everybody else. She knew her garrison had a new head, a new General. She wasn't even sure if the Nephilims have remained as Nephelims or have chosen to be angels themselves. The only thing she knew was that she had a mission to finish on earth. That was what the prophecy, the vision she has seen thousands of years ago, has told. She has to **permanently** seal Purgatory. And there were a few possible futures for that; futures she didn't want to ponder on.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't feel the younger Winchester get on the roof as well until he was just over her head, giving her a quick, small smile then sat beside her. "Hey." Sam said when he was comfortable where he sat.

"Hey." Daniel responded softly, never taking her eyes away from the sky above. When Sam moved to lie down as well, Daniel turned her head to look at him. God, he look so much like Zhereo; from his dark locks to his lips, the shape of his eyes and nose, his long neck and his tall muscular form. The only differences were that Zhereo had dark blue pools for his eye color and has cut his hair so short which made him look very different from all the other male Nephilims.

A few moments later, as if feeling Daniel's eyes on him, Sam turned his head to look at her with a small smile and a questioning look in his eyes. "What is it?" Sam asked as his brows furrowed softly, curious as to what Daniel was seeing.

Daniel swallowed the lump that has formed in her throat. She wet her dry lips and shook her head then said in a quiet voice, "Why are you awake?"

Sam looked back up at the stars and sighed heavily. "Bad dream. Usually I can't get back to sleep when I wake up from it." Sam replied just as quietly.

Daniel stared at him some more, knowing there was more to it, to whatever the younger Winchester was saying. She knew Sam went to hell, to Lucifer's cage and his soul was there for more or less a year. She knew her charge broke the wall that Death has built, to separate the memories of hell. She knew all of these, after bringing Castiel back to life. She managed to tap into his memories, albeit most were the most recent once, she found out how the final battle went, was able to prove that that possible future from thousands of years ago occurred instead of the end of the world.

"Bad dream? Or bad memories from hell?" Daniel asked before she could even think about it. Sam turned his head swiftly to look at her, looking open and extremely vulnerable.

Daniel watched him swallow thickly before he said, "How did you…"

"I had access to Castiel's memories when I brought him back to life. I had a few glimpses of what happened, starting from the time he promised that everything will be okay after he said that it possibly won't until he betrayed you and your brother and broke the wall. I even saw him walk to the water reservoir."

"So that's why you never knew Gabriel took a male vessel. You only saw what happened when I said yes to Lucifer." Sam realized and looked at the Nephilim in awe.

Daniel looked back up at the sky and simply nodded. Sam followed her example when it seemed like she wasn't going to say anything.

"I know someone who can rebuild the wall." She said after a few moments of silence. Sam's attention snapped back to her, a frown already creasing on his forehead. "Actually," she turned her head to face the hunter, "he was the one who built it in the first place."

0===0

"We're what?" Dean asked with a scowl the following morning as Daniel arranged everything she needed for the ritual she was about to perform. She sent Sam back to sleep the night before and collected everything she needed afterwards then slept for a short while.

"We're going to bind Death and ask him to rebuild the wall." She replied simply as she continued to mix various herbs and things that none of the men around her wanted to find out.

Dean watched her wary with a scowl on his face then said after a few moments of silence, "We've bound Death before and whatever you're using right now aren't the same with what we used." Dean said, suspicious of what the Nephilim's actual intentions are at the moment.

"I'm using the strongest binding spell written so far. I've bound War with the same spell, just a little modified to fit the horseman." She replied confidently without removing her gaze from what she was doing.

Dean raised his eyebrows and looked at Castiel, silently asking if Daniel was bluffing or not.

"She did; along with Famine." Castiel said, understanding the question the hunter silently asked. Dean simply sighed and shrugged and went back to watching Daniel, albeit suspiciously.

"So how does this work?" Bobby asked, breaking the short silence that has come over them.

Daniel spared the oldest hunter a glance as she continued to do what she was doing before she replied, "This binding spell can only be removed by caster. In this case, that would be me. Death won't be able to use any of his powers unless I commanded him to use it."

"So, what; Death will be like your puppet?" Sam asked and walked closer to her.

"No. I won't be able to control anything else but his powers. Like," she paused and looked thoughtful for a moment, "like how some people saw genies as; they can only do much unless you make a wish."

"So it's like, encasing his powers in a jar that you hold and you control when the lid will be opened?" Bobby said as he watched the Nephilim various symbols on the table, after mixing everything she needed. Dean snorted at the analogy his second father has said.

Daniel looked thoughtful for a while, eyes never leaving her work, and said, "I suppose." All of them remained silent after that, letting the Nephilim work. After a few more moments, Daniel finally said, "Move back." She mumbled some words that were probably Enochian. Thunder struck, and with it, appeared the horseman. His face was unreadable, so none of the men in the room knew how pissed he was at being bound.

"Well, well, well. What a pleasant surprise to see the General who led the army that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah." Death said with a calm that sent chills to the three hunters' spines.

Daniel simply smiled sardonically, her back to the horseman, and said, "A pleasure to see you again," she turned around to face the horseman, "Death."

The two of them stared at each other for a long while. None of the other men with them found it necessary to speak because, technically, this was Daniel's game. After a few more moments of silence, Death sighed, tilted hi head to one side and said, "You could've simply summoned me."

Daniel's smile turned into a genuine one and said, "Now where's the fun in that?"

Death, surprising the hunters and ex-angel in the room, rolled his eyes. "What do you need?"

Daniel's face finally turned serious. "I was made aware that you created a wall to block Sam's memories from hell." Death raised his eyebrows, silently telling the Nephilim to continue when she paused, even though he knew where she was going with the conversation. "I need you to do it again."

"Why didn't you try to shift it? Transfer those memories to someone or something else? You could've done it _yourself_ as well." He said, knowing she can't do either.

Sighing, Daniel bit her lower lip and said, "Most of the things I need to build a wall don't exist anymore. And I don't have enough strength to shift it." She looked at him with pleading eyes, something that could hardly be refused.

"Well, give me the Winchester." Death said impatiently and walked towards the couch. Daniel smiled and looked at Sam, tilted her head to Death's general direction, silently telling him to move forward. The younger Winchester followed the horseman. Daniel followed them as well with Dean and Bobby behind her, still silent.

Death gestured to the couch, urging Sam to lie down and the hunter did as he was told. The horseman kneeled beside him and said, "This is going to hurt more than the time I put your soul back in." He looked up to address Daniel and said, "He could be unconscious for a long while." She nodded her head in response, holding Dean's arm when he tried to move forward.

"How do we know you're not just going to kill him?" Dean suddenly asked, feeling doubtful.

"I'm bound, aren't I? And you should know by now that I have to keep up with the schedule of deaths." He retorted and put a palm on Sam's forehead. He pressed his palm a little harder; Sam started to scream. Dean, Bobby and Castiel visibly flinched the moment Sam started screaming. And, after what felt like forever, Sam suddenly went limp on the couch.

Death removed his hand from the younger Winchester, looked up at Daniel with raised eyebrows, waiting to be unbound. With a snap of her fingers, Death was free and gone.

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**Ooh, BTW, I also have this on my AO3 account but I haven't posted everything there cuz I'm too lazy.**

**And one question, do you prefer reading here or would it be cool with you guys that I transfer everything? I'd still love to post here, tho. :)**


	6. The Blade of Cannael

**Freakin' finally, right? I'm really sorry for the late updates. I'm human, I have a life (_LIE!_) and I do get writer's block, like, A LOT. Anyway, here 'ya go people! :)**

**NOTE: You'll notice that the dividers will be like this (==D==). It's because I jump from one POV to another. So, it's not rocket science (where did that saying come from anyway?) and I know you'll figure out show is who as you read. :)**

**Unbeta'd, unedited, I'm lazy.**

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==D==

Dean was leaning back on the wall of their current hideout as he watched as Castiel and Daniel fight hand to hand. The former angel was losing badly. He has a cut on his left eyebrow and on his lower lip, his nose bled earlier when Daniel hit him with a particularly strong straight and the inside of his mouth probably still has some blood when he was hit by a mean uppercut. Daniel's only bruise was on her right cheek when Castiel got lucky with a left hook.

"How's he doing?" Sam asked as he handed a bottle of beer to his brother then leaned back on the wall as well.

"Horrible." Dean said bluntly with a wince as Daniel managed to hit Castiel on the stomach, making the former angel stagger back then receive a kick on his chest, making him fall. Dean can see from his periphery that Sam was making a face as the former angel panted and tried to stand up. He wondered if the angel lost all his fighting ability after losing his grace.

"You're not as good as you were, Castiel. What happened to the strong, skilled warrior who taught me everything I know?" Dean heard Daniel challenge, as the former angel stood unsteadily on his feet.

"Again." Castiel said in that same gruff voice as he tried to catch his breath, moving into a fighting stance once more. It was obvious that the former angel was not used to that kind of exhaustion. His body was probably protesting right at that moment, begging for some rest.

Daniel's jaws clenched, as if she was gritting her teeth and Dean wondered how much she has been holding back to make the fight even. "Sam." She said without looking at the younger Winchester. "Spar with Castiel." The brothers shared a wary glance; Dean simply shrugged as Sam started to walk towards the former angel.

Daniel was about to put two fingers on Castiel's forehead when the former angel moved backwards, dodging the Nephil's hand. "I'm fine." He said gruffly and wet his lips. Daniel studied him for a while, then, as if finding what she was looking for, she nodded and walked towards Dean and leaned back on the wall where Sam was a few moments ago.

Daniel crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Begin.", making Sam and Castiel move into a fighting stance, both of them studying the other. It was quiet for a few moments as Castiel and Sam moved in a circle, never letting their eyes off of each other. Then, as if a dam broke, Sam moved to deliver a straight, almost hitting Castiel in the face, when the former angel ducked and hit Sam's abdomen with a strong body punch, making the younger Winchester stagger for a while. Castiel was about to hit Sam once more when the younger Winchester somehow got a hold of his footing and dodged the punch, turning to stand beside the former angel. Castiel turned to deliver a left hook, but Sam was able to raise his right arm and push Castiel's outstretched arm away. Castiel quickly used his right arm for an uppercut, surprising the younger Winchester. The underside of Sam's jaw was hit hard, despite their height difference. Castiel was about to deliver another body punch when Sam held his wrist and pulled, stretching the former angel's arm, turned as he did so, then kicked the back of Castiel's knee, forcing him to kneel. The former angel fell with not much effort, since he has been fighting for almost two hours now. Dean actually felt bad for him.

"Again." Castiel panted as he stood up, albeit shakily. Sam was panting as well and could obviously see the exhaustion in the way the former angel stood. Dean caught his eye and shared worried looks as the former angel did his best to remain standing. Daniel was simply watching.

Then, as Dean was about to ask for a break, Castiel promptly fainted, exhaustion finally getting to him. It was a good thing that Sam was already standing by him, ready to catch him.

Dean rushed to Castiel with a worried frown on his face, as Sam slowly lowered his body. Daniel followed Dean at a slower pace.

"Cas?" Dean said as he gently patted Castiel's cheek, hoping he'd gain consciousness. "Cas. Come on, buddy."

"He's fine." Daniel said calmly, standing over them with her arms crossed over her chest. Despite Daniel's smaller form, Dean felt as if they were being loomed over. Daniel crouched down and placed two fingers on Castiel's forehead. Dean followed the movement and watched as the former angel's injuries disappeared, as if he wasn't harmed at all. He heard Daniel choke but thought he was imagining it when he looked over the Nephil and saw that she was fine. "He just needs some rest." She said roughly as she slowly straightened up, gritting her teeth, and walked away. Dean took that as the dismissal it obviously was and started lifting up the former angel, Sam assisting him, then took him inside.

==S==

The moment Daniel walked out, Sam instantly knew that there was something. He couldn't pin point what it was yet, but she seemed tense, as if she was trying to contain or hold something together. He'd know because he has seen that look in the mirror numerous times. He pushed the concern aside for a while and assisted his brother carry the former angel back into the cabin. He'd deal with the nephilim later.

==DN==

Daniel released the breath she didn't know she was holding as she staggered and collapsed on a tree, only held up by the hands she managed to grasp on it. She coughed hard and panted as she tried to hold herself together, spitting blood afterwards, while doing her best to remain strong, despite the fact that she knew how much weaker she was getting as time passed by. She knew being cast out of heaven, all those years ago, would take its toll on her when she needed the power. She was strong enough to cast spells, because they didn't take too much of her power, unlike healing, and travelling through time. She had to conserve her energy, her powers, her _grace_, until she can seal Purgatory's gates once and for all.

She sat down by the tree she collapsed on, resting for a while. She was far enough from the cabin that neither of the brothers would find her as quickly. She let her head fall back against the tree behind her, breathing slightly better than she was before. She closed her eyes and went back to the times when it was easier, better. She started to smile to herself as she remembered how her—_their—_life was before Lucifer was thrown to hell, before Samariel was seen as an abomination by about half of heaven because he was Lucifer's son, before Samariel plotted against heaven for his father's punishment and started a war between the various garrisons, before they—Daniel, Zhereo, and Azra—were ordered to kill Samariel an all the other nephilims who fought alongside him, before the three hundred year war that happened between the two sides, when the angels watched them fight because they were ordered not to take part, before Zhereo was killed by the end of the war. And then she was casted out of heaven, blamed for Zhereo's death.

She didn't understand how her brothers and sisters, or hell, the _angels_ would think that she was responsible for Zhereo's death. He was the man she loved the most and she would never dare hurt him, let alone kill him.

A few years before the war started, God went missing, as if He never existed. He was just… gone. The angels were arguing, looking for their missing father and Samariel took advantage of that, the angels' distracted state, and began the war. The archangels took charge after that. They were led by Michael, with Raphael as his second in command. They ordered every nephilim to prepare for the war but ordered every angel to stand back, because they will be needed more for other purposes and the war was between the nephilims. The three of them, Zhereo, the son of Raphael, Azra, the son of Michael, and Daniel, Gabriel's daughter, prepared for battle. That was when Gabriel went missing.

It tore Daniel's heart apart when she found out that her mother has left them, _her_. Her father, Cannael, was in his own heaven already, reliving every moment he had with his wife and child and Daniel went there to watch his father relive their lives, over and over. It brought her some sort of peace, contentment. And when everything became too hard for her to bear, she talked to her father.

"You have to find my sword, love." Cannael had said once, getting Daniel's full attention, but her father was looking somewhere in the distance. "You will need it in time." He had whispered quietly then looked at her with a soft smile. She simply nodded and did as she was told days later. She hid the sword to the safest place she knew and sealed it with a few spells and some sigils, so that only she can open it at the right time. Then Zhereo was killed.

Up until now, she can still see the bloody corpse of her lover, how he stared at nowhere, eyes void of the warmth they possessed. A lower ranking nephilim, one Daniel couldn't remember the name of, was the one who found her, cradling Zhereo's head against her chest as she tried to stop her tears from falling. Michael ordered her fall.

Daniel couldn't stop the sob that came out of her mouth, no matter how hard she tried. The tears started falling from her eyes, like a river during the storm. She couldn't help hiccupping as her chest felt too constricted, as if the air couldn't get into her lungs. She hugged her knees close to her chest, waiting, hoping for salvation. She has always been the sensitive one, the _emotional_ one, as Raphael had said before. She can be ruthless when push came to shove, but she was easily swayed by her emotions, her one weakness that made both Michael and Raphael dislike her on the spot and Lucifer like her when he was still in heaven. But she was also the fastest and the smartest leader they have ever had, which meant she was indispensable for a while, as long as someone like her was needed. Then Samariel was finally killed, the only one who can outsmart her when needed, and she was finally disposed off.

She couldn't help but feel so alone. Her mother, her father, and her lover were all dead and no one was there for her. Death was just a friend of Gabriel's, someone who has taken a liking to her because she was different, because she was _exceptional_ to his eyes. Nothing could ever come close to the comfort those who she held close to her heart could bring, those who she trusted with everything.

And that was how Sam found her, slumped against the tree, tear-streaked, eyes rimmed red. And she actually thought the brothers would take longer to find her.

The younger Winchester seemed like he wanted to say something but held back. He simply sat beside the nephilim who was already calming down. She still couldn't understand how she came from being tired and frustrated to tired, frustrated, and _pathetic_. She was just reminiscing her past, from millions of years ago, to ease the pain that shot through her after healing Castiel, then she felt lost and alone and lonely. It felt disconcerting.

"I don't know why, but I trust you." Sam said, all of a sudden, surprising the nephilim. Daniel blinked at him, once, twice, trying to comprehend the reason to Sam's words. She expected questions, asking her how she was doing, how she was holding up, if she really thought the leviathans could be _killed_. She was even expecting some accusations, why she wasn't there before the leviathans got released, why she had to push Castiel that hard. Never did she imagine Sam telling her that he trusted her.

"I don't…" Daniel started quietly, letting Sam fill the blank—the silence.

"Understand?" Sam said with a small, soft smile. "Me neither." He chuckled softly and looked straight ahead. His knees were bent know as his elbows lay on his knees, his arms stretched in front of him. "I just, do." He huffed at that then had a faraway look on his face.

Looking at Sam right at that moment, she didn't know whether to feel even more lonesome because Sam couldn't become Zhereo or feel elated because Sam was like a replica of Zhereo.

A few more moments passed and Daniel has finally gathered enough strength. She slowly stood up, getting Sam's attention and said to the younger Winchester, "Stay here." Before Sam could say something, Daniel was already in a cave in the North Pole, looking for the sigils and spells on the walls of the cave that she had made all those years ago to get her father's sword.

She found the main sigil she was looking for (), the one that would be considered as the main lock, which was circular with a number of complicated strokes insides and some Enochian words. Below the sigil was her name, written in Enochian and a spell (prayer to some) below it, slightly smaller than her name, that may only be read by her or someone that she shared a _profound_ bond with. Something she didn't really need much for she has memorized it, even after all those years.

_(TRANSLATION)_  
(**Daniel, the messenger's daughter**

Lord of heaven, father of the savior, I ask you to release your hold on the holy weapon you have created and have given as a gift to one of your mighty warriors, Cannael.)

To break the seal, break through the sigil and spells, her blood was needed, fresh, flowing, to fill the sigil above her name. She cut her palm with the blade she always kept and clenched the injured hand, spreading her blood. She spread her palm wide over the sigil and whispered the prayer, spell, quietly. Her eyes, her ears, every cavity in her body glowed as her grace assisted her for the spell, the sigil recognizing her as the protector. The sigils all over the cave started to glow as well, lighting everything up.

The wall cracked, slowly opening and crumbling as the sigils and Daniel continued to glow. A few more moments later, as the wall in front of her seemed to have opened for a path, most of the sigils dimmed, leaving Daniel and the sigil she was touching as the only sources of light. Soon enough, the light coming out of her dimmed as well, leaving the sigil glowing until she finally let it go.

Daniel took a sharp breath, feeling quite weakened by the spell but fine, nonetheless. She swallowed thickly then entered the pathway that was made. It only took her about ten steps to chest seemingly made of stone. She touched the top, making it glow for a moment, then let it go as it opened, revealing something that looked like a sword, wrapped inside a dark thick cloth.

She let her fingers dance across the handle, feeling the symbol of the sun and moon carved on it, the same symbol she has on her armor, the same symbol her mother possessed. She picked the sword up, and flew back to where she left Sam, letting the sigils close over once more.

When she got back, Sam jumped, surprised at the sudden appearance. She actually felt amused.

"What's that?" Sam asked as he slowly stood up.

Daniel tested the weight of the sword in her head, bouncing it up and down on her hand. "This," she looked at Sam as she bounced the sword once more for emphasis, "will be Castiel's weapon against the leviathans. I will teach him how to use this efficiently when he wakes."

Sam nodded then asked, sincerely curious, "What's so special about it?"

"This was my father's sword, blessed by God Himself. It has won many battles for heaven but may only be used by a mortal, with the blessing of an angel or in our case, a nephilim." She explained as she studied the carvings on the sword's handle.

"So it could kill a leviathan." Sam concluded. Daniel could hear the hope in the man's voice.

"Not just kill _a_ leviathan." She started and looked up with determination in her eyes, "We could send _all_ of them back to Purgatory the moment we kill whoever's leading them."

* * *

I have a Tumblr account, just sayin' ( .com). *waggles eyebrows*

Ooh. This is on AO3 as well, just, if you want some pictures(ish) in time. :)


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